Trenton's school district is the largest in Mercer County. A nine-member Board of Education is appointed for three-year terms by the mayor. The district is in the midst of a several-year project involving the construction of several new schools as well as renovation of many existing buildings.
The following is a summary of data regarding the Trenton public schools as of the 2003–2004 school year.
Total enrollment: 13,231
Number of facilities
elementary schools: 17
junior high/middle schools: 4
senior high schools: 1
other: 1
Student/teacher ratio: 19:4 (state average)
Teacher salaries
minimum: $34,010
maximum: $67,090
Funding per pupil: $13,803
Several parochial and private elementary and secondary schools supplement the public system in Trenton. A number of prestigious day and boarding schools are found in the nearby Princeton area.
Public Schools Information: Trenton Public Schools, 108 North Clinton Avenue, Trenton, NJ 08609; telephone (609)989-2400
Rider University, a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1865, enrolls more than 5,000 students in four schools: business administration, continuing education, arts and sciences, and education. Thomas A. Edison State College offers adult students associate's and bachelor's degrees partially based upon life experience and equivalency examinations. Mercer County Community College, with two campuses, awards associate's degrees in 70 programs, many of them based on community needs. For instance, a portion of the college's more than 13,000 students study in training programs for business and industry.
Nearby Princeton University, one of the nation's most renowned academic institutions and a member of the Ivy League, is within commuting distance. Princeton is known for its liberal arts, medicine, education, architecture, and theology programs and is a respected research institution. The College of New Jersey, in nearby Ewing Township, serves nearly 6,000 students, offering more than 40 liberal arts and professional programs in five schools: Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, and Nursing.
Trenton's Public Library and its four branches maintain more than 600,000 volumes and special collections ranging from state and local history (the Trentonian Collection) to a large recording and print collection. The library, which houses the Arthur Holland papers on ethics in government, is also a depository for federal and state documents.
The New Jersey State Archives is the official repository for all New Jersey colonial and state government records of enduring historical value. The New Jersey State Library holds more than 750,000 volumes, maintains a Library for the Blind and Handicapped, and has special collections on law, New Jerseyana, New Jersey state government publications, U.S. government documents, and genealogy. Other special libraries in Trenton cover medical, geological, environmental, labor, legal, municipal, and technical topics.
Among Princeton University's areas of research and study are the effect of public policy on urban areas, foreign relations, population trends, and industrial relations. Princeton's Harvey S. Firestone Memorial Library is New Jersey's largest research library. Princeton also maintains the Forrestal Center, a research park employing more than 2,000 people. Drug research being conducted at Princeton Biomedical Research offers hope to sufferers of Alzheimer's disease, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive behavior, and panic disorder.
Public Library Information: Trenton Public Library, 120 Academy Street, Trenton, NJ 08608; telephone (609)392-7188